Georgian Triangle Trails
When people are considering purchasing real estate in the Collingwood -Blue Mountain areas, it is often because of the lifestyle and amenities the area offers. Quality of Life is a major factor in deciding where to live and trails have become an important component of that in recent years.
Once upon a time, trails in the Georgian Triangle were seen as an amenity for avid hikers to climb peaks, explore hidden caves and challenge themselves in ways some of us might not dare. Then over the years, we started seeing “rails to trails” projects with one of the first being right here in the Georgian Triangle when the rail line from Collingwood to Meaford morphed into the Georgian Trail.
We are blessed to have the incredible
Bruce Trail snake through our region along with many others. Wasaga Beach is home to the Blueberry Plains Trail while Meaford boasts one of my personal favourites: The Trout Hollow Trail commencing in the center of town. Walking, jogging, snow-shoeing, skiing; you can do it all on our trails.
Today, municipalities are realizing that trails are an important community asset. They offer passive and active recreation for healthy living but also promote eco-tourism and offer a new venue for alternative transportation for community residents. In Collingwood, we have a magnificent internal trail system. In the summer, my husband cycles to his place of business on it every day and my kids use it to get to friends, work and shops. My mom, who is in a wheelchair, loves the local trails as they are safe from traffic and bring her closer to nature. I find that my real estate clients who have moved here from both urban and rural centers make extensive use of the trails. When visiting last fall with one of my favourite clients, he told me that he found a great source for tree mushrooms on one trail (I’m told it is an Italian delicacy and after seeing them, I can imagine they may well be quite delicious!)
I love the trails because they show me parts of town I don’t see everyday and remind me of how remarkably gorgeous an area we live in. Whether it’s a boardwalk, an old rail or a forested path, we sure do have access to some of the very finest trail systems Ontario has to offer.
